The biggest roadblock to recruiting success in the agriculture industry is a reactive approach. All too often, companies wait until someone leaves a position before scrambling into action, posting the opening and waiting for talent to apply. Unfortunately, the best candidates are not always the people actively looking for new jobs. The vast majority of strong talent is already employed, and it takes a relationship-focused recruiting process to connect with them.

Why Employers Fail to Build a Passive Pipeline

Passive recruiting is not a new concept, and most hiring managers know the importance of building a talent pipeline. However, according to CareerBuilder’s 2017 Candidate Experience Study, over one-third of employers do not actively build relationships with passive talent.

Why? Because relationship-focused recruiting takes time, and it can take months or even years for a strategy to pan out. Also, many companies have tried and failed to make it happen. Hiring professionals make the mistake of rushing the process and hard-selling passive candidates right off the bat, which can be off-putting to someone who is employed and content in their current role.

Passive candidates take time to explore their options and really consider the value and consequences of making a move. Rushing them into it can have the opposite effect you’re looking for and can damage your ability to form a relationship.

Building a Relationship-Based Recruiting Strategy

Building an effective strategy requires:

• Employer branding: Passive candidates have a lot of time to research your organization. If they don’t find details about your culture and what it’s like to work for you, they won’t be interested. You must invest in strong branding to position your company as an employer of choice.
• Social media interaction: Social media is an excellent tool for branding, but it’s also a way to start conversations with talent.
• Employee referrals: Talented people know other talented people. Referred employees are often far more successful than traditionally sourced candidates.
• A streamlined hiring process: If you spend time building a relationship with a candidate, it can backfire if you make them go through a drawn-out and disorganized hiring process. When an opening arises, and you have a strong match in your pipeline, you must be prepared to move quickly.

The Efficient Road to Effective Relationship-Based Recruiting

Developing an effective, internal relationship-based recruiting strategy takes time and resources. Fortunately, there is a way to instantly improve your process and connect with passive talent, rather than simply “available” talent.

At Morris Bixby Group, our recruiters have a solid pipeline of talent in agricultural sales, marketing and technology talent. Our team is constantly building new relationships with the best and brightest in the industry, and we can position your company and your opportunity as the right move when we identify a candidate who is aligned with your role.

If you are ready to start recruiting more effectively, contact the agricultural industry staffing experts at Morris Bixby Group today.